It Pay$ To Change Your Ways7 s imple st rategies to save water and money!
S A V E ~ 6 0 0 G A L L O N S / M O N T H
Leaks can waste a lot of water and money, and may also cause property damage. Toilets are one of the most common places for leaks, and many of them can be silent wasters. Leaks can waste anywhere from 600 gallons per month to 3,000 gallons per month (see sidebar Leaks Can Add Up).
Check for andfix leaks
S A V E ~ 7 0 G A L L O N S / M O N T H
I N F O G R A P H I C B YA hose running at 10 gallons per minute for 7 minutes will waste 70 gallons every time you wash your car.
Install a shut-offnozzle onyour hose
S A V E ~ 7 5 0 G A L L O N S / M O N T H
Taking a five-minute, instead of fifteen-minute shower (using a 2.5 gallon per minute showerhead) would save 750 gallons per month per person.
Take ashortershower
S A V E ~ 9 0 0 G A L L O N S / M O N T H
Don’t let the water run while you are washing the dishes. Fill the sink basin or a container with wash water and rinse when all of the dishes have been soaped and scrubbed. A kitchen faucet using 1.5 gallons per minute for 20 minutes each day will use almost 900 gallons per month.
Soak dishes;don’t letwater run
S A V E ~ 4 8 G A L L O N S / M O N T H
In addition to wasting 1.6 gallons or more per flush, flushing anything other than human waste and toilet paper can cause problems with your house’s plumbing, the main sewer lines, our wastewater treatment facilities, and the environment.
Don’t usethe toilet asa trashcan
S A V E ~ 2 5 0 G A L L O N S / M O N T H
A faucet running at 2 gallons per minute for 2 minutes twice a day can waste 240 gallons. Turn off the tap while you shave and wash your face. Make sure that others in your house do the same.
Turn offtap whilebrushingteeth
S A V E ~ 1 0 0 0 G A L L O N S / M O N T H
The average home washes nearly 25 loads of laundry per month. Each load uses 40 gallons of water. If you only run half-loads, you will waste almost 1,000 gallons every month.
Run the laundry(and dishwasher)with a full load
leaks can add up
How Water Is Used in the Home
reduce your use, Reduce Your Bill
Source: 2016 Residential EndUses of Water, Version 2
If you undertake the 7 simple strategies, you could save over $50 onyour monthly water and sewer bill.
OWASA bills in 1,000 gallon increments. Even small water savings willaccumulate over time and eventually save you money.
$0
$175
$150
$125
$100
9876543210 10
$75
$50
$25
U S E L E V E L ( 1 , 0 0 0 S O F G A L L O N S )
CO
MB
INE
D C
HA
RG
ES
24%T O I L E T
20%S H O W E R
20%F A U C E T
16%L A U N D R Y
13%L E A K S
3%O T H E R 2%
D I S H W A S H E R3%B A T H
2O gallons/day
gallons/month6OO
gallons/month15OO
gallons/month3OOO
5O gallons/day 1OO gallons/day
come on in!Learn ways tosave money
on yourOWASA bill!
For more information on how to reduce your bill by reducing use, contact
Mary Tiger, Sustainability Manager, 919-537-4241, [email protected]
The Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) is a public,
non-profit agency that provides water, sewer (wastewater), and reclaimed water services to the
Carrboro-Chapel Hill community, including the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill in southern Orange County, North Carolina.
